, 1887-01-27
MICKEY FINN'S AMBITION.


An ambitious vine watered by drip
pings from the mill roof had climbed
slowly over the caves and embraced the
big chimney, which lowered seventy feet
In the air. The tender feelers OF the vine
were shriveled by contact with the bricks
heated by the fiery heat of the chimney.
Disappointed in its aim to reach the
chimney top, the vine turned aside and
crcpt over the shingles to the roof top,
aud down the other side, whence 1t hung
In long ~festoons, dipping its slender fin
gers in the mill race.
The vine WINS the only living thing
which had tried to climb the chimney
since its erection, and many "A funeral cor
tege had crossed the long shadow of the
chimney since that time. The chimney
stood where 1t does now when Mike Finn
came to CooneyaIsland, and unless an
earthquake topples 1t over blue smoke
will pour from Its mouth by day and red
sparks by night until Mike has gone out
OF sight Of the chimney forever.
II had been the desire OF Mickey Finn
for n long time to climb to the top of the
chimney. He had two motives in trying
to accomplish this dangerous feat. The
first was the desire TO excite the envy and
l "a IN tkit'f Nv hb'
second that he might stand, II only for n
moment, on the highest spot on Cooncy
Island, and look over the goodly land
scape. II occurred to him that he might
climb up the inside, chimney sweep fash
ion, but when he HAD worked his way up
twenty feet one day when the mill wns
idle, he slipped and fell to the bottom,
narrowly escaping IA broken neck Siill
he cherished the project in his heart as he
passed the min each day on his way to
school.
Mickey had made more progress in
climbing chestnut trees than he had in
ascending the tree OF knowledge. The
schoolmaster was dissatisfied with his
progress Although gifted with n nntur
ally bright mind, II was hard ~ make
the boy understand why he should learn
the location of Kamtchatka, and he
seemed Indifferent ms to whether the prod
uct OF Turks Island was salt or maple
sugar. To his discredit 1t must be told
that he spent a large portion of his time
while at school drawing tall chimneys and
painting the bricks in vivid green and
blue 'ints. These mimic structures
vomited clouds OF chrome yellow smoke,
which, contrasting with the bright tints
OF the bricks, produced IA most striking
aud bizarre effect. However, If Mickey
was IL dullard in geography and econom
ical statistics, he was an adept Ia physic
He could get the grapvine twist ON an op
ponent In n wrestle, and he was very skill
ful at knocking out marbles. Indeed, 50
successful had he been OF late that he had
just concluded a bargain with Paddy
Feenan by which, in consideration OF sixty
marbles. one dodo, aud two badly Clipped
glass Hgntes, lie purchased whatever right
To title Paddy had Ia his sister Mary
This bargain was clinched by Mary when
the transfer OF the marbles was made, by
the vow Tint she would be faithful to
Mickey forever never amen
The sehoolmaster saw hat the best way
of interesting Mickey was by Il series OF
object lessons which should have IA local
bearing. aud 50, when he called up the
geography class, he asked him 10 bound
Cooney Island.
bounded on tn sout' by Murray
street, - said Mickey glibly, bounded on
mort by tn ould Point road, bounded ON
tn asst by-by-tesn't bounded AT all on
tn asst; il runs out to n pint
"What do they grow ON Cooney island"
Mostly cabbidges and potatys, and II
few ingynns, not many"
what animals do they raise ON tn
islandT'
We'll, there's cnts. Mrs McGee has
four, three little weeuy vans hat she's
goin' 4 put In II bag mkt week wild II
stone an have EN- in tn pond. Mrs.
Feeny's big black Tom cat iii wild my dog
jack, and licked him, but she can lick
me Billy goat, cause II he wanst got hold
In her he'd shake tn hair all OIL her back.
Mcbbe thhre's atty cats on tn island,
countin' tn kittens. I'm goin' 4 have
- .. - sI... l.. ..r .l. ~ a--
ms | t'ach tn billy L stand ON his head
It1lbe only Ave cints L come in, III"
Never mind your show, sir. What
other animals are ON the island,'
''Meules Most " thin, tho Is gone
up tn canal 'eeptin' Paddy Fecnan's
blind meulc. Hes no good, anyhow, but
fur chewin' hny an kickin the boards of
IN barn. Mebbe | kin git him in my
show
III You say anything more about that
show o. yours I'll warm your jacket. Go
on wild yer story about tn animals
"Tharc's hosses, an' Jimmy Cooney's
mare as has III HAYES. She blows fnr
her wind like n laky bellers. She's ne
good. We needn't ii her. Mushrnts
and mud turkles is plenty; but ye cant
catch many. they're shy We wouldn't
care fur thin y%eserl', but they'll nil come
handy fur me Mhin | start my
The >ohoolmaster stepped toward his
scholar with set lips and n ruler in his
hand Mickey, however. anticipated him,
and jumping over two benches he reached
the door and escaped. As he went down
the road a peddler's horse passed by him
ON "A run. \ big watermelon rolled out of
the wagon and burst open ON the ground
Mickey picked up II large piece Of the
melon, and climbing NJ ON the roof Of the
mill. seated himself In the shadow Of the
big chimney and began TO eat II. He was
soon joined by his friend DoolAn. While
seated ut the foot Of the chimney the old
longing To climb II anne over the boy.
As lac looked at the great brick shaft he
SAW IN the west side Of 1t n series VI
spikes driven into the masonry at inter
walls Of three feet, extending from the top
to within fifteen feet Of the bottom.
"Ill do IL, ~ suddenly exclaimed Mickey
do what asked Doolnn
"Climb m chimbly.
"lou couldn't get up. \ fly euullu't f
Dye see, there's spikes Wen fii "a
long boom an lane II up ngin III rhimhis
~ | can r'Ach til first spike It's as,
gittin' up "a r,~l a. m ways
Doolan saw, or thought he saw how
EASY 1t would he 10 reach the top, and lac
Thousands nay 80